


Bottle-O

by Zycorax



Series: Axesinger [2]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Bullying, Kindness, The Feast of Winter Veil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:16:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28638393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zycorax/pseuds/Zycorax
Summary: An entry to a "Winter Veil" writing prompt. Takes place when Zycorax is about eight years old.
Series: Axesinger [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097522
Kudos: 1





	Bottle-O

**Author's Note:**

> An entry to a "Winter Veil" writing prompt. Takes place when Zycorax is about eight years old.

Zycorax huddled, as she was walking along the streets towards the market district. A freezing gale from the north penetrated her worn jumper, sending shivers throughout her body. Despite the time of the year, the decorated streets were nearly empty, surely thanks to the unusually cold weather.

She eventually reached the market square and reached into the pocket of her trousers. She could feel the coins her father had given her. She found herself surrounded by vendors, who braved the weather, in the hope of earning a few extra silver before packing up for the night. Warm soup, candy, pies, hot chocolate, cookies and fruit. The list of temptations went on and on. She weighed the coins in her hand and eyed a jar of gummy-wyrms longingly. However, her father would be furious if she spent any of it on herself.

She found the liquor-vendor she was looking for at the outskirts of the square. She received a big bottle of something brown, in exchange for her coins and started the long way back. She held the bottle tightly against her chest and looked down at it. Surely she’d had enough coins for both something warm to drink and a box of cookies, but instead she had to spend them all on this stupid bottle for her father. The vile liquid only made him angry and his breath to stink. Part of her wanted to just smash the bottle against the cobblestone, but she knew that wouldn’t go down well when she got back home.

Suddenly something hooked her right leg and with a gasp, she fell forward. She managed to brace the fall with both hands, but let go of the bottle in the process and it smashed into the ground, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. The front of her jumper was drenched in the brown liquid and shards of glass. She just stared at the ground in despair.

“Haha! What a loser! That’s what you get for being a loser!” She recognised the voice. It was some boy from school. A boy she’d given a black eye a mere month ago. “Look at her, sis. She’s not so tough now, is she?”

“Wait, is this the girl who beat you up? She must be at least two grades under you!” a girly voice said.

“So what? She’s still a loser. Loooser!”

“Yet you’ll be the one in trouble when I tell your dad about this. Hey, are you all right?” Zycorax looked up for the first time and saw a girl in her early teens with white hair, wearing a really nice coat. She glanced back down at the remains of the bottle.

“My dad is gonna hit me…” she said quietly.

“What? Over a bottle of cheap liquor?” She paused and looked at Zycorax. “Oh… You’re poor, aren’t you?.” She turned to the boy, who had been distracted by a cat. “There, are you proud of yourself, you little shit?”

The boy turned towards the girl with wide eyes. “I’m gonna tell mum that you said that!”

“Whatever. Give me your jacket.”

“What for?”

“I’m giving it to her.”

“But it’s my jacket!” the boy protested.

“Just give me the fucking jacket, or I’ll tell dad who really smashed Amane’s urn.” The boy’s eyes widened again and he quickly took off the jacket. The girl grabbed it and offered it to Zycorax. “Here, take this. You must be freezing.”

Zycorax looked up at the smiling girl. She looked really pretty. Reluctantly she took the jacket from her. It was a little too big, but felt warm nonetheless.

“Now how about we get you a new bottle of something nice for your dad, eh? Come with me, I know a place.” The girl held her gloved hand out to Zycorax. She took her hand and they started walking back the way she came. The boy grumpily followed a few paces behind them.

“What’s your name?” the girl asked.

“Zycorax.”

“Zycorax? That’s a strange name. I’m Zhiria,” she said and smiled. “So I hear you’re packing quite a punch. Do you often get in fights at school?”

“Sometimes. When I think they deserve it.”

“I don’t doubt for a second that the brat behind us deserved it,” Zhiria laughed. “Ah, here we are.”

They went inside a very nice looking shop. They were greeted by a clerk in an elaborate shirt and Zhiria told him what she wanted to buy. The man disappeared into the storage room for a few minutes, before returning with two big bottles and a box. Zycorax had been too busy looking at all the ornaments inside the store, to notice that Zhiria just had bought her a big box of chocolate, causing her to stare at it in disbelief when the older girl gave it to her, along with a cloth bag, containing the two bottles.

“That should do it, right?” Zhiria said with a big grin.

“Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Zycorax said, trying to hold back her tears.

“Now let’s get you safely back home, shall we? Lead the way, lil’ fighter.”

\---

Half an hour later, they were standing in front of Zycorax’ house. It was relatively small and had definitely seen better days. A dim light could be seen through the windows.

“This it? This is actually pretty close to where we live,” Zhiria said.

“Yeah, this is it…” Zycorax said, sounding a little embarrassed.

“Hey, would it be all right if I come and visit sometime?” Zycorax looked at the girl as if she’d just said the dumbest thing ever. “What? Is it a bad idea? I was thinking we could be friends or something. My family and neighbours are kind of boring, so, you know…”

“If you really want to… That would be nice,” Zycorax said and smiled.

“Great. I’ll see you around then.”

“Yes! Thank you, Zhiria. You are really nice.”

“Hah, guess I can be sometimes. Bye Zycorax,” she said and waved.

“Bye Zhiria,” Zycorax said and waved back. She kept on waving until Zhiria was out of sight, then went inside the house. Her dad had fallen asleep in his chair, so she just placed the two bottles on the table next to it and took the box of chocolate with her to her room. She replaced the jumper reeking of alcohol, with a clean shirt and sat down to enjoy her sweets.


End file.
